Operating means for circuit-controlling devices.



J. K LUX. OPERATING MEANS FOR CIRCUIT CONTROLLING D EVIOES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 25, 1906. v

m m m P avweul oz I JULIUS K. LUX, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

OPERAT-IN G MEANS FOR CIRCUIT-CONTROLLING DEVICES.

sooner.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 25, 1906. Serial No. 332,026.

Patented Aug.

trolling Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates particularly to means for indicating the positions of the 1110 able contact and to operating means or handles for operating circuit controlling devices; objects of the invention are to provide an operating and indicating means which operating means may be moved or turned in one rotary direction from its normal operative position without operating the movable contact, or injuriously affecting the operation of the device or the parts thereof to insure against undue stresses to parts of the device, to provide indicating or operating means or both of these, which may be interchangeably applied to devices of a given class, so that in their operative position they will uniformly have a predetermined position relative to the movable contact thereby to indicate the open or other conditions of the circuits. said means being exterior to the .cover for indicating the position of the movable contact the more conspicuously and unfailingly. while permitting the complete inclosure of the device so as to exclude dust. moisture. insects and the like. To provide in combination with the herein-described features a means for easily removing and applying the said cover. indicating means, and operating means with a limited number of separately detachable parts. To provide an indicating means that will'not impart weight or momentum to the snap actuated parts of a switch.

Other objects of my invention will appear hereinafter.

Figure 1, is a detail sectional View of one form of indicator and operating handle, and related parts, embodying my invention. Fig. 2, isa plan view of the blank from which the indicator is formed; and showing a ferrule Gr which is secured to the'said blank so as to be flush with the top of the blank and to project downwardly therefrom. as shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3, 1s a plan new of a spring piece struck up from sheet metal which spring piece is interposed between the indintor and the'cover to hold thc latfter part. in, position on the base of the switch. Fig. 4, is a view of the extremity of the positioning means E for positioning the indicator relatively to the movable contact. F 1g. 5 shows two views of the positioning means F taken at right angles to each other.

Referring to the drawings in detail, E

indicates the operating handle the top plan view of which may be of circular or of other suitable form. The said handle is formed of insulation and has a metal center part to impart strength and receive the screw thread. near its base portion into which groove, portions of the herein-described indicating means are inserted so as to secure the han-' dle and indicator together while leaving the said parts free torotate relatively each to the other. By reasoifof this connection the indicator may be rotated freely in either direction to come into a predetermined position as the handle is being screwed down on the spindle.

G is the means for indicating the position of the movable contact. The said indicator is struck up out of sheet metal and The handle has a circular groove has two lugs Gr formed from the central part and bent downwardly as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, to provide anchorage in the insulating material which forms a herein-described positioning means E The ferrule G is secured to the part G to reinforce the insulation hart E". The said indicator G has three lugs G integral therewith, which lugs are bent upwardly and caused to engage the handle in the aforesaid circular groove thereof so as to form the above-described connection.

I? is a positioning means for positioning the indicator relatively to the movable contact. The said positioning means E is molded about portidhs of the indicator so as to insulate the spindle G and other electrically charged parts from the said indicator. The said positioning means is cylindrical in form andhas a wedge-shaped or inclined extremity as shown in dot-ted lines in Fig. 1, and more clearly at E of Figs. 4 and 5.

G is thespindle usual in devices of this class, the same being broken away for the surfaces are designed to direct the pointed end of E into the final home position as shown in Fig. 1, and also in the diagram at the right hand side of Fig.5. The said parts are so designed that upon screwing the handle down on the spindle the indicator cannot lodge or catch or come to rest except in predetermined positions in which positions it will unfailingly indicate the position of the movable contact. The apexes of the said four directing inclines are clearly shown on F, in Fig. 5.

N, is a section'of the cover which usually incloses devices of this class.

N is a character (as on or ofi') to indicate the position of the movable contact or other condition of the circuit.

The part N is a spring secured to the cover to press against the indicator or handle in such manner as to hold the cover snugly to the base.

To remove the operating means from the switch the tongues G are bent downwardly and the handle part E, is merely unscrewed from the spindle, -the part GrE need not turn at all.

. To apply the operating means it is merely necessary to screw the handle part E, onto the spindle, as the handle is screwed down the positioning means E strikes the positioning means F, and for example it may strike at the apex of F, the edges of E and F, are so-fiositioned and conformed that they will not dwell in engagement but will slide off of the apex and the part E, being screwed farther down the positioning means E slides down the compound inclines of the part F until it j ams home; at the same time the handle E will jam on the screw-thread and be in driving engagement with the spindle G I claim: H

1. In an operating means for a rotary snap switch, a handle detachable from the switch, means whereby the said handle is normally rotatable in one direction without operating the said switch,.indicating means detachable from the switch, and means on one of the said detachable parts for posi tioning the indicator, said positioning means comprising members having coacting inclines for positioning the said indicator relatively to a cooperative part on the switch.

2. In an operating means for a rotary snap switch, a handle detachable from the switch, means whereby the said handle is normally rotatable in one direction without operating the said switch, indicating means detachable from the switch, means on one of the said detachable parts for positioning the indicator, cooperative positioning means on the switch, said cooperative positioning means comprising members having coacting inclines for positioning the indicator relatively to the switch.

3. In an operatin means for a rotary snap switch, a hand e detachable from-the switch, means whereby the said handle is.

normally rotatable in one direction without operating the said switch, indicatin means,

means including coacting inclines or positioning the indicator, said operating handle being rotatable relatively to the said positioning nieans. 4. In an operating snap switch, coaxia having coactin interfitting inclines for pcsitioningan in icating means, an indicating means secured to one of said members, operating means for rotating the positioning members and indicating means including a handle and connections between the handle means for a rotary positioning members and the other positioning member whereby the positioning members are held in a predetermined position relative to the switch.

-5. In an operating means for a rotary snap switch, coaxial, positioning. members having coacting inclined faces for positioning an indicating means, an indicatingmeans secured to one of said members, operati means forrotating the positioning mem ers and indicating means including a handle and connections between the handle and the other positioning member whereby the positioning members are held in a predetermined osition relative to theswltch, said handle ein rotatable in one direction independently o the positioning members and indicating means.

6. In an operating means for a rotary snap switch, a handle for operating the switch, an indicatin member rotatable in one direction with t e handle, and. means JULIUS K. LUX.

Witnesses:

Gno. S. LIVINGSTON, H. B. House. 

